Lo! He Comes, An Infant Stranger

For Christmas

Words: Richard Mant (1776-1848)
Compare: Lo! He Comes, An Infant Stranger, an arrangement from Christmas Carols, or Sacred Songs, Suited to the Festival of our Lord's Nativity (London: John William Parker, 1833), pp. 26 – 29.

Music: "Helmsley" by Martin Madan
"Lo! He Comes, An Infant Stranger" by Thomas Merritt

Source: A Good Christmas Box Containing a choice collection of Christmas Carols
(Dudley: G. Walters, 1847), "The Infant Stranger," p. 117.

Lo! he comes, an infant stranger, of a lowly mother born,
Swathed and cradled in a manger, of his pristine glory shorn!
Hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah! Praise the incarnate Word of God!

Lo! he comes, by man unfriended, fain with stable-beast to rest;
Shepherds, who their night-fold tended, hailed alone the new-born guest.
Hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah! Praise ye Jesse's tender rod!

Lo! he comes; but who the weakness of his coming may declare,
When, with more than human meekness, more than human woes he bare?
Hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah! Praise him, emptied of his might!

Lo! he comes, around him pouring all the armies of the sky;
Cherub-, seraph-host, adoring, swell his state and loudly cry:
Hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah! Praise ye him, the living Light!

Notes:

Words by Richard Mant (1776-1848), said to be in imitation of Charles Wesley's (1707-88) 'Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending', in turn, an imitation of the song attributed to John Cennick (1718-55), 'Lo, he cometh; countless trumpets' (1752) from the Dublin collection entitled Sacred Hymns. Music ('Helmsley') by Martin Madan (1726-90), based on a tune which Thomas Olivers (1725-99) is said to have heard 'whistled in the street,' There is a contemporary arrangement by Paul McDowell © 2002. See: Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending, Thomas Olivers.

Also found in A Selection of Carols, Pieces, and Anthems, Suitable for Christmas. (London: W. Kent and Co.; Penzance: F. Rodda, ca. 1872), p. 41, with three verses. The third verse is a modified version of the fourth verse above (and somewhat similar to the 12th verse in Lo! He Comes, An Infant Stranger, an arrangement from Christmas Carols, or Sacred Songs, Suited to the Festival of our Lord's Nativity (London: John William Parker, 1833), pp. 26 – 29). The third verse here reads:

Son of the Eternal Father,
    Who again in power shall come
Cherub, seraph hosts adoring
    Swell his state, and loudly cry,
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah,
    Praise ye Him, the living Lord.

If you would like to help support Hymns and Carols of Christmas, please click on the button below and make a donation.

Related Hymns and Carols